Looking beyond the threads and to mistreatment
In malls across Istanbul this month, shoppers have been finding surprising and disturbing notes in their clothes from Zara, a Spanish clothing retailer. According to BBC News, these notes include messages such as, “I made this item you’re going to buy, but I did not get paid for it!”
The notes, which have been tucked into pockets or folded into seams of clothing on display, have been left by previous employees of the Istanbul-based manufacturer Bravo Tekstil, CBC reports. Before the factory closed down abruptly in July 2016, it supplied clothing to Zara, Mango, and Next, who are all owned by the parent company Inditex. The former employees claim that they were not paid leading up to the closure of the factory and have not been paid since.
Inditex claims that they paid Bravo Tekstil and that the funds not being passed on to workers is out of their control. The parent company has also set up a fund to help compensate workers for lost wages. However, according to a representative of Disk Tekstil, the union representing Bravo Tekstil workers, the “hardship fund” is projected to only cover a quarter of the losses claimed by these workers.
Around the world, factory workers for the fast fashion industry face similar poor working conditions every day. From the collapse of Rana Plaza in Bangladesh in 2013, to locking factory workers inside at night, the industry that earns millions of dollars for their clients is riddled with human rights abuses.
As consumers, it can be difficult to determine which brands use ethical means of production. Retailers typically outsource production to third party manufacturers, who may pass down their work to smaller companies. Due to this distribution of work, it can be difficult to track where the abuses are coming from.
One step consumers can take to help the issue is buying second hand clothes whenever possible. Further, consumers can choose to buy less when they must buy new and support initiatives that advocate for workers’ rights.
According to BBC, Bravo Tekstil workers hope that this campaign will raise awareness for their situation, enlighten the public to their mistreatment, and apply pressure to Inditex to follow through with their promises.
Photo courtesy of Zara